Isaiah Washington (right), with Sandra Oh (left), in Thursday’s episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Washington’s first in more than seven years. — ABC photo

Preston Burke’s abrupt exit from ABC’s medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2007 left fiancé Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) hyperventilating as she was quite literally cut from her wedding dress by best friend, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Even more abrupt was the way in which Isaiah Washington, who played the beloved heart surgeon, was let go from the show in June 2007 following a widely publicized behind-the-scenes incident with several cast mates. But Thursday, with fences seemingly mended between Washington and the show (specifically creator Shonda Rimes), the door opened for Burke to reappear as Oh prepares to say goodbye to her character of 10 years in two weeks.

While in Wilmington filming his new suspense thriller, “The Sin Seer,” Washington sat down with StarNews and revealed what it was like to return to set after such a controversial exit, how it felt to slip back into Burke’s scrubs and why he feels he has risen from the “attic in hell” that followed his firing. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Q: What was it like to put on that lab coat and be Preston Burke again after more than seven years?

A: I remember the first day back I was sweating bullets. They didn’t show it but there was a picture of my actual great grandmother that sits by my bed and they had that photo on set. They had “Big Momma” there in my office. In the episode, they show the Harper Avery awards in Burke’s offices, but they didn’t show that picture. If they had, I would have been a puddle on the floor. (laughs)

Q: What was it like on set? What was the response of Shonda Rimes and everyone?

A: When I got to set, first I see Shonda and she is walking up to me, looking at me with a big smile. This was supposed to be a big secret and I had seen her at an event before that, but she didn’t want anything said about us talking that night. No pictures, no nothing. On set that first day, I was terrified. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea. In theory, this was a great idea but I didn’t know if I could pull it off. What made me think I could step back into this after seven years and pick this up? When I hit the set, I wondered if I was gonna sound the same, feel the same, walk the same. But after three hours, Shonda was about to leave and I said, “Are you leaving?” and she said turned and said, “I’m not gonna hold your hand all day, you’ve got this.” She looked at me, showed me a picture of Big Momma, gave me my scrub cap and I said OK, and it locked me in. They had given me all the things I needed, even after seven years.

Q: So how long did you have keep the secret they were wanting to bring you back this season?

A: I got the call November of last year.

Q: The show is currently in its series of “Farewell to Cristina” episodes as Sandra Oh gets ready to leave. Do you feel this was the right time to bring Burke back into the fold of the show and the Cristina storyline?

A: The absolute perfect time. Absolutely. I believe in God and the divine universe and I think everything is right in the universe. There is a reason I am back. They created this world, and if you see in the episode, I give her coffee, which was how I tried to seduce the Cristina character back then. All those little buttons are there. I am so proud of this episode because that was my team; that was the team I remember when I was there – Burketina.

Q: What was it like to be a part of Cristina’s farewell to the show?

A: I got to be a part of the send off of a well-known character and people are going to remember that. And closure, it brings so much closure to this storyline (between Burke and Cristina).

Q: So are you happy where the character ended up after this episode – giving Cristina his hospital in Zurich so he could spend time with his wife and kids?

A: I am over the moon. I am over the moon. I am literally over the moon and over the Earth on “The 100” (The CW series Washington currently stars on). But yeah, I am still taking it in. I am in shock right, but it is that joyous kind of shock. June 7, 2007 (the day he was let go from the show) was a horrible day. Like a deep, conjuring horrible. An “attic in hell” horrible. I didn’t know if I would recover.

Q: After tonight, seeing the return of Burke, do you feel like you have finally left that attic?

About This Blog

Hi! My name is Hunter Ingram and I’m the film/TV reporter for StarNews Media. I will be the primary blogger for WilmonFilm, but other staffers, including Community Engagement Editor Jeff Hidek and freelance reporter Brian Tucker, are likely to contribute from time to time.

With this blog, I aim to be Southeastern North Carolina’s go-to source for all things film and TV. Wilmington and its surrounding areas are rich with intriguing projects, from the big-budget blockbusters to the small-scale, high-impact independent films. I will post everything from breaking news to offbeat features that will cover every facet of the entertainment news emerging from the area. So bookmark this page and be on the lookout every day for new posts!

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